Ronald’s little book, the one he wrote primarily for his own children in England, has staying power. Over 70 Christmas celebrations have come and gone since The Hobbit was originally published, and it is still immensely popular.

With Peter Jackson’s recent release of the first part of this book as a major motion picture, now even more people, young and old, will likely be drawn to it.

Have you ever wondered why this particular story is so appealing to so many people? Having recently read the book and watched The Hobbit: An UnexpectedJourney this question lingers in my mind.

This story, this fantastic tale filled with wonder and adventure, sets the stage for J.R.R. Tolkien’s equally famous trilogy The Lordof the Rings. To crack open any of these books is to drop into an alternative universe filled with mysterious places like Middle Earth, Rivendell, Mirkwood Forest and many unusual creatures.

After meeting the dwarf king, Thorin Oakenshield, together with Gandalf the good wizard, Beorn the bear-man, Gollum, Elrond, and the Elvenking Thranduil it is difficult to return to “ordinary life” without a greater sense of wonder and a growing desire for more adventure.

Bilbo Baggins, the main character in The Hobbit, is in no need of an introduction by now. It is well-known that Bilbo was a small, comfort loving creature (and a bit of a self-absorbed snob) who had no desire to set out on any unexpected or dangerous journeys – no desire at all. But then Gandalf shows up, a dozen or so dwarves drop in uninvited, and soon Bilbo finds himself signed up to help the dwarves reclaim their mountain home and recover their lost treasure.

Bilbo is in for quite an adventure. Even at the beginning, it becomes clear that this would be a perilous quest and not at all an easy task.

All that was required was to travel, over many months, through miles of wilderness and rocky terrain filled with hundreds of hideous creatures like gobins, trolls, wargs, orcs, and giant spiders, not to mention dark magic spells. No problem. And if they ever made it to The Lonely Mountain alive (which was highly unlikely) it would then be necessary to find a way to defeat the fearsome dragon, Smaug the Magnificent, on his own turf.

Any volunteers?

It gets worse. Dangerous internal enemies would need to be conquered and subdued at the same time. The stubborn nature and blatant greed of the dwarf king poses a serious problem to the preservation of peace in Middle Earth. As well, fear in Bilbo’s heart would need to be replaced with courage. And the power of the Dark Lord, Sauron, was not to be underestimated. Many creatures were at risk of bending and twisting their will to follow his cruel desires.

Hope is hard to come by in this story. Impending doom lingers throughout this tale. At every turn, it appears that Bilbo’s small group of friends will be defeated and quickly destroyed.

Without giving too much away, it becomes abundantly clear that one hobbit and thirteen dwarves cannot make it there and back again even with the aid of one wonderful wizard. Luck, fate, or more accurately, providence, is what makes the biggest difference in the outcome of their spectacular adventure.

So getting back to our question: Could it be that this story is so compelling in part because so many people can relate to Bilbo Baggins?

We feel small and inclined to be content with personal comfort; and yet, we wake up one morning in the middle of a unpleasent adventure we did not choose; we sense that the forces against us are overwhelming; and still, we struggle to rise to the occasion and face the future with courage rather than fear.

Could it be that many of us need to be encouraged to maintain a sense of hope in what appears to be a hopeless situation?

Ronald Tolkien lost both of his parents early on in life and most of his friends. Disease and the First World War brought them all to an untimely end. But his story didn’t end with discouragement and defeat; it didn’t have to end that way.

And as another Christmas season approaches, may I suggest that neither does yours or mine.

Live free or die. That is what it says on the licence plates in New Hampshire in the USA. That is what you will read over and over again if you ever visit this particular place. Strong words to be sure. Or, to put it plainly: Them are fightin’ words!

This is, of course, only a slogan and likely one of many possible mottoes that could have been chosen. But it is a feisty slogan nonetheless. It caught my attention years ago for the very first time. And even now, I can’t get used to it. The shock won’t go away. Nothing about the lovely landscapes in the White Mountains. Nothing about the beauty of the trees or the hills or the Atlantic ocean. There is nothing subtle or soft in this message.

Live free or die. This simple phrase draws a line in the sand. It represents a stark choice and a firm decision. It suggests collective courage and conviction. It draws attention to hardship and sacrifice in the past and hints at more to come. It makes you wonder, though, what type of freedom is being talked about. It is easy to know when you are dead, but how do you determine when you are truly free?

“I feel so free!” That is what a young man I know had to say after making his way from Cuba to Canada. Much of life, I learned, is controlled by the communist government there. Choices are few and far between. Things that I assume and take for granted are unthinkable not very far away.

“It is very dangerous here and there is no freedom!” That is what a young man I read about had to say about living in the West Bank. Then again, it may have been Gaza. But it doesn’t really matter. The point is that while life is always hard in some respects, it is much more difficult in some places than it is in others.

Have to say that I enjoyed this world a whole lot more before I travelled and read a little history. Liked the lullabies about everybody believing whatever they liked, and living however they pleased, and always getting along, etc. quite a bit more. But when the music fades, and everyone is finished singing the final round of John Lennon’s classic song “imagine all the people…” it is still dangerous walking home. In some parts of the world, walking anywhere at night is a bad idea.

During story time up here in Canada, we were often led to believe that we Canadians were an especially nice group of people. You know…didn’t cause anybody any trouble, tried to help out and lend a hand, keep the peace when we could – that type of thing. And to be fair, it is arguably less crazy here than it is on many other parts of the planet. Yet I doubt if Canadians have paid a very large percentage of the price required to keep it that way.

If Canada had been parked next to Germany or Russia or Iran during the past century, Canadian culture would have looked much different. And life overall would have been much more difficult. My home country may not have survived.

Having your life or your country or your civilization threatened is not a small thing. While preparing this post, I learned about a person I know well who recently had their life threatened. I am very concerned. Having been on the receiving end of a couple of death threats myself, I know that it is not a pleasant experience. And I wouldn’t want to encourage anyone to embrace a harmful or hasty response to immediate danger.

Your life is something you should treasure and protect. Your life isn’t something you should quickly throw away.

And yet, freedom isn’t free.

In the future, you may be required to make a very costly contribution for the common good. Your role could turn out to be much larger than you think. You never know. Gotta die some time. Might as well go down doing something that makes a difference – something that could make people truly free.

Considering trying out a new and improved career and life direction is comparable to standing on the shore and about to step into a small boat.

Chances are that you will feel a sense of unease and a great deal of apprehension. Even fear. Yes, fear. Don’t be surprised if the air suddenly feels cool down by the water as you watch the waves crashing into the shore. You feel chilled. You feel uncomfortable and out-of-place. Cold. Salt is in the air; you can taste it. And the wind is picking up. One after another, larger and louder they come; the waves come. What seemed soothing and relaxing while walking along the beach is, well, frightening now that you have gotten a little closer and a bit wet.

You might not want to admit it, but you are feeling more than a little concerned. You are afraid. If there was a panic button nearby you might be inclined to push it. If you didn’t think you might need them later, you would already be firing off your flares.

If only you could fly like the seagulls that are circling overhead. Fly directly and effortlessly to your destination. Quickly and safely. Without a care in the world. If only. But you can’t. You will soon be bound to that boat – that old, wooden boat.

I wonder if fish find it as refreshing to jump out of the water as many humans find it to jump in? It must be exhilarating for the water creatures to break free and launch up and out into the light, bright, air every now and then. Wouldn’t you think?

Haven’t talked to too many fish lately, but I’ll bet that leaping out of the water isn’t all about survival and merely trying to get the bugs. It sure looks a lot like play. And it must also make for a refreshing change. Picking up speed at the bottom of the lake, there are likely moments of doubt. But once they come flying out of the water and are hanging in mid air…it has got to feel good on the fins. Real good.

In any case, most people reading this likely tend to think that water feels good – especially on a hot summer day. You know how it is. Driving into the parking lot at the beach, in a car without air conditioning, you can hardly wait to get into the water.

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Just a thought

Questions to consider: What do you enjoy doing the most? What are you interested in? And what are you good at? How have you been affirmed by others in the past? If you could do one thing, what would you do? Based on your life so far, what should you do next?